Shipping container



June 21, 1960 C. E. PLEVYAK SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed May 6, 1957 f4?,-45 f43 f4 517/39 fsa ral fas ,45 f4? Fig.4.

Figs.

INVENTQR Chester E. Plevyok SYM ATTORNEY Y secured `to the side wall 11.

United States Patent ,SHIPPING CONTAINER AChester E. Plevyak,Plainfield, NJ., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, EastPittsburgh, Pa., a corporation `of Pennsylvania Filed `May 6, 1957, Ser.No. 657,354

4 Claims. '(Cl.12291'4l) invention relates to containers ,for holdingfragile articles, whereby they may be shipped without danger oflbreakage or other damage thereto.

viding a carton and insert cushion member therefor, each formed from aunitary piece of material.

It is still another object of the invention to simplify lthe design ofshipping containers for fragile articles by eliminating some of thecardboards previously used, while 4at the ysame time-ensuring properclearance for the article to be shipped. Thisresults in a saving ofmaterial, savings in space necessary to stock the parts, and an increase`in the speed of packaging. Also, the design provides better protectionfor the article to be shipped.

*These and other objects of the invention are effected by my invention,as will -be apparent from the following description taken in accordancewith the accompanying ydrawing throughout which like referencecharacters 1indicate like parts, and in which:

tainer and cushion member showing the manner in which `they cooperatewith eachother in assembled form.

Referring to Figs. l and `2, the container is shown in the formof acarton 10. The carton iis made of conventional single wall corrugatedcardboard and is formed by creasing and cutting a single sheet of thecardboard as shown in Fig. 2. The finished carton comprises Vside walls11 and 12, end walls 13 and 14, a top wall 15, and a bottom wall 15comprising flaps 16a-16d. The top wall 15 includes an inner Wall member17 and an outer wall member 18 folded in reverse directions across thetop of the carton.

The `inner top wall member 17 is comprised of an inner ap member 19 andan outer flap member 20. One side of the inner wall member 17 is movablysecured to the .sidewall 12. The inner flap member 19 is folded 'underthe flap member 2@ so that the other `side of the Wall member 17 liesclosely adjacent to the side wall 12 and the wall section 17 forms adouble thickness of the cardboard material.

One side "of the outer top wall member 18 is movably The wall member 18is folded over the inner Wall section 17 so that the top wall 15comprises three thicknesses of cardboard material.

2,941,709 Patented June 2l, 1960 ICC The end walls 13 and 14 areprovided with top flaps 21 and 22, respectviely. One side of the topflap 21 is movably secured to the end vwall 13 and one side of 4'the topflap 22 is similarly secured to the end wall 14. The top flaps 21 and 22are provided with outer, inner and intermediate ap portions 23, 24 and25, respectively.

The cartion is formed from a single blank of corrugated cardboardmaterial and cut to the blank form shown in Fig. 2. The side walls 11and 12 and the end Walls 13 and 14 are formed by folding the blank onthe longitudinal parallel fold lines 26 the top wall by folding 'theblank on the fold lines 27, and the lbottom wall by folding the blank onthe fold lines 24S. The inner top wall member .17 is bendable on thefold line 29, While top flaps 21 and 22 are bendable on 'the 'fold lines30., 31 and 32.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the insert `cushion member- 35. is also madeof conventional double wall corrugated cardboard and is formed from asingle sheet vof the cardboard shown in Fig. 4. The central portion vofthe material is bent to .form an open ended channel member 36 having apair of spaced apart side portions 37 and 38 and a bottom portion 39which is of a predetertermined depth with relation to the Vcarton 10 andwhich is lbent along its upper edges 40 to form top pieces' 41 whichextend substantially at right angles to the 'sides of the channel.

-The top pieces 41 extend outwardly a predetermined distance and arebent along their outer edges '42 vto eX- tend downwardly to form cushionside faces 43 which Aare of greater depth than the depth of the channelmember 36, and are bent inwardly along their lower edges 44 to form thebottoms 45 of the cushion member. 'The bottoms 45 extend vinwardlysubstantially the same 'distance as the width of the top pieces 41 andare bent upwardly along their inner edges`46 to form upwardly lextendingportions 47 which extend along the outer faces of the side portions 37and 38 ofthe channel member '36 into contact with the bottoms of the toppieces 41.

The side portion 37 is provided with a pair of spaced slots 49 and 50which extend substantially Vfrom the edges 40 of the cushion Amember 35to the bottom portion 39. The side portion 38 is alsoprovided witha'pair 'of similar slots 51 and 52. The slot 49 is oppositelydi'sposedand in alignment with the slot 51, while the slot 50 similarly located.in relation to the slot 52. The upwardly extending portions 47 are alsoprovided with slots53, 54, 55` and 56 in alignment with the slots 49,Si), 51 AAand 52, respectively. 'Ihe toppieces 41 are provided withAopenings :57, 5S, 59 and 60 'in longitudinal alignment with the slots49, 5i?, 51 and 52, respectively.

The cushion member 35 is formed from a single block of corrugated'cardboard material and cut to the blank form shown in Fig. 4. Thechannel member 36 is formed by folding the blank on the longitudinalparallel fold lines 61, the top pieces 41 are formed by folding theblank 'on the fold lines 40 and 42, and the bottoms 45 are formed byfolding the blank on `the fold lines 44 and 46.

In use, the container is assembled by setting 'up the carton 1() asshown in Fig. l, setting up the cushion member 35 'as shown in Fig. 3,and then inserting the Vcushion member into the carton as shown in Fig.5. The article to be shipped in. the container is inserted 'into thecushion vmember 35 between the side portions 37 and 38 land contactingthe bottom portion 39. The top flap 21 of the carton is then foldedinwardly and downwardly through the openings 57 and 59 'in the top piece41 of the cushion member kand into 'the spaces provided Vby the slots`49, 51, 53 land `55. The other top `flap y'22 into the spaces providedby the slots 50, 52, 54 and 56. The top flaps Z1 and 22 in theirassembled position will have their portion 24 superposed on the toppieces 41 of the cushion member 35, while their portions 2,3 and 25 willextend at substantially right angles thereto toward the bottom portion39 of the cushion member and serve as partitioning` means within thecontainer. The distance between the slots 49 and 50 and between theslots 51 and 52 is equal to substantially the length of the article tobe shipped in the container. The inner ilap member 19 of the inner topWall member 17 is lthen folded under the outer ap member 20 and theouter top wall member 18 is superposed on the inner top Wall member andsecured to the carton.

While I have shown my invention in a preferred form it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptibleof various modications without departing from the spirit and scopethereof.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a carton having top, bottom,Y side and end walls,said end walls each having a top ap, and an insert cushion member formedfrom a single piece of material, said member comprising a centralchannel element of substantially U-shaped cross section having sideportions and a bottom portion, with each of said side -portions beingprovided with a pair of spaced slots extending from an upper edge ofsaid side portion toward the bottom portion, with the slots of one sideportion being oppositely disposed with the slots of the other sideportion, `a pair of top portions extending at substantially right anglesfrom the :top edges of said side portions toward the side walls of thecarton, further portions of greater depth than the depth of said channelmember extendingV downwardly from said top portions and forming withsaid top portions a pairl of hollow members of rectangular cross sectionpositioned respectively between said side portions and the adjacent sidewalls of fthe carton, with each of the portions of said hollow memberswhich are adjacent to the sides of said channel element being providedwith a pair of spaced slots in alignment with the slots provided in theside portions of said channel element, with -the top aps of said endwalls being provided with portions for insertion into the oppositelydisposed slots.

2. lIsn combination, a carton having top, bottom, side and end walls,said end walls each having a topY flap,

other'side portion, a pair of portions extending from the edges of saidchannel member and forming a pair of hollow members of Vrectangularcross section positioned respectively between each of said side portionsv and the respectively adjacent side walls of the carton,

and of greater depth than the depth of thechannel member, withtheportions of said hollow members which are adjacent to the sides of ythechannel member being provided with a pair of spaced -slots `in alignmentwith the slotsrprovided in the side portions of said channel member,.with the ftop aps of the end walls being provided with portions forinsertion into the oppositely disposed slots.

3. In combination, a carton having top, bottom, side and end walls, saidend walls having la top flap, and an insert cushion member formed from asingle piece of material, said member comprising a central channelmember of substantially U-shaped cross section having side portions anda bottom portion, avith each of said side portions being provided with apair of spaced slots extending from an upper edge of said side portiontoward the bottom portion, withthe slots of one side portion beingoppositely disposed relative to the slots of the other side portion,said insert member further including a pair of leg portions ofsubstantially rectangular cross section integral with said channelmember and extending from the respective top edges of said side portionsto the bottom of said carton, said leg portions each being locatedbetween one of said carton side walls and the adjacent channel memberside portions and having a vertical dimension substantially exceedingthatrof said channel member whereby said channel member is supportedwith said bottom portion thereof spaced from the bottom of the carton,with each of said leg portions being provided with a pair of spacedslots in alignment with the slots provided in the side portions of saidchannel member, and with the top ap of one of said end walls beingprovided with a portion for insertion into one group of said oppositelydisposed slots and with the top Hap of the other of said end walls beingprovided with a portion for insertion into the other group of saidoppositely. disposed slots.

4. In combination, a carton having top, bottom, side and end walls, saidtop wall including an inner wall portion movably secured to the top ofone side wall, and an outer wall portion in superposed contact with saidinner wall portion movably secured to the top of the other side wail,with each of said end walls having a top ap movably secured -to its topedge, and an insert cushion member formed from a single piece ofmaterial,

said member comprising a central channel member of substantiallyU-shaped cross section having side portions and a bottom portion, witheach of said side portions being provided with a pair Vof spaced slotsextending from an opper edge of said side portion toward said bottomportion, with the slots of one side portion being oppositely disposedand in lalignment with the slots of the other side portion, insertmember top portions extending at substantially right angles from theedges of said channel member toward the side walls of the carton andbeing provided with a pair of spaced openings in alignment wit-h theslots provided in the side portions of said channel member, a pair ofleg. portions of substantially U-shaped cross section extending from therespective outer edges of said top portions to the bottom of saidcarton, said leg portions each being located between one of said cartonside walls andthe adjacent channel member side portion and having avertical dimensionV substantially exceeding that of said channel memberwhereby said channel member is Vsupported Iwitb said bottom portionthereof spaced from the bottom of the carton, with each of said legportions being provided with a pair of spaced slots in alignment withthe slots provided in the side portions of said channel member, with thetop flap of one of Vsaid end walls being provided with a portion adaptedto be turned inwardly and downwardly through one group of said openingsand into one group of said oppositely disposed slots, land with lthe topflap of the other of said end walls being provided with a portionadapted to be turned inwardly and downwardly through the other group ofsaid openings and into the other group of said oppositely disposedslots.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

